Everything to lose
by maispecialk
Summary: Max never had an easy life but now it's going to get even more difficult. She turns to Jeb when she realizes that she has more to think about than just herself. Will have Fax.
1. Chapter 1

I had never been this desperate. I stared at the two bed room brick townhouse in the pouring rain, hating myself for what I was doing. But I didn't see any other choice. There was no telling how the Flock would react if they knew my secret, especially Fang. He'd be furious that we were in this mess, which is why he couldn't know.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hearing faint sounds of movement on the inside. The door opened to reveal Jeb, my biological father standing in the doorway, obviously taking in my shivering frame and ragged appearance.

"Max!" I felt his arms wrap around me and drag me inside out of the freezing rain. Normally I'd spout a sarcastic remark, or even physically push him away, but I no longer had the energy.

Then I saw his face, full of shock and regret when he noticed that there was more of me than there used to be.

"I need your help." I said lamely, hearing no life in my own voice.

Jeb and I had not last parted on the best of terms…not that we ever did. None the less after noticing my condition and hearing the humility in my voice, he knew this was serious.

"You need a warm shower and food. We can talk later." He said, racing upstairs to grab clothes that would fit me and a clean towel, pointing me to the bathroom.

It'd almost been four months since I ran away from my mom's house in Arizona. I'd made it on my own so far, sleeping in shelters, caves, and abandoned houses. I scrounged whatever food I could find, which probably explained my frail frame despite the growing belly and the dark circles under my eyes. Apparently pregnant women don't sleep the best. Who knew?

I hadn't had a shower in almost a week. I stripped off my grungy clothes turning the hot water to a comfortable level. I stepped inside feeling the pounding water on my back and rubbed my swollen belly, feeling a sense of relief that I hadn't had in months.

"I might hate him, but he's all we have right now." I said to the baby in my stomach, bitter that I had to resort to this.

I felt like a brand new, but still pregnant person when I emerged from the shower in baggy oversized clothes. I sat at the empty seat at the dinner table, surveying the loads of food Jeb had piled on my plate.

"You need extra calories with your…condition." He smiled gently, though it seemed forced. Who could blame him? His genetically engineered freak of a daughter was pregnant.

"Look, this isn't permanent. I don't want to be here. I just need a couple of days and I'll be on my way." I explained coldly, taking a bite of my cheesy potatoes.

"And go where, Max? You need to settle somewhere, at least until the baby comes. You can stay here, in the spare bedroom. We'll manage the delivery and you'll be safe." Jeb said grandly, as if he were offering me my own Hawaiian paradise…treacherous backstabbing father not included. Oh wait, yes he is.

I laughed in his face.

"And I just hang out here waiting for Itex to come for me and the baby? Oh wait, they're after all of us now aren't they?" I asked bitterly, remembering Jeb's eagerness to help the last few times we'd seen him.

He'd pretended that he wanted to help us and be our friend. Really he was probably just trying to save his own hide.

"Don't pretend like you understand that situation, Max." He warned.

"It's true though, isn't it? You're hiding from them now too, aren't you?" I pushed, despite the tension that I could feel building like a shaken up two liter soda ready to explode.

"Enough! You think you've got it all figured out, don't you, Max? Itex can't hurt me! What's the worst they could do? Torture me? Kill me? Big deal. But there are things they can come after that are more important to me than my own life. You'll understand that soon enough." Jeb explained darkly.

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was just instinct, but at that moment I understood. Jeb didn't care what happened to him as long as he protected the people he cared about. I could only imagine who those people are now that Ari was dead. I didn't think Jeb was capable of caring about anyone but himself.

"I'm sorry I reacted that way, but I'm tired of you always assuming the worst about me. I'm happy to have you here, and I would like to prove you wrong about me." He smiled weakly, knowing that I was never one for forgiveness.

"It's fine." I surrendered, too tired to argue or even care.

We continued eating in silence, both of us accepting the strange circumstances leading to our reunion.

"How far along?' Jeb asked, cutting his pork chop.

"Four months or so…maybe five." I answered, refusing to meet his gaze. It contained a mixture of pity and curiosity that completely disgusted me.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

"You explained the birds and bees to us. You figure it out." I laughed, answering his question in the driest tone I could manage.

He rolled his eyes, like I was known to do and sighed. "Fang?"

The fiery sarcastic side of me wanted to say "No Jeb, the mail man." But instead I just nodded guiltily, admitting my child's parentage for the first time. My best friend and love of my life was my child's father and I'd left him without a single goodbye. He had no clue and I intended to keep it that way.

"How's the Flock? Are they alright?"

"They're all well. Of course they were angry when you left, but they're strong kids. They've survived worse and time heals all wounds, supposedly." He shrugged. In other words they were still mad at me. He was trying to warn me, in case I went back. I had no intention of that though, and Jeb recognized it immediately.

"Max, you don't have to do this all on your own. I'll do whatever I can to help, as long as you allow me. And your mother…"

"No! Mom can't know about this!" I ordered, though Jeb held up a hand to silence me. I growled at the condescending gesture.

I could only imagine my mother's shame if she found out that I was pregnant. It was a look on her face I never wanted to see.

"Your mother wants to know you are safe. I think we can confirm that at least?" He asked , requesting my permission to tell my mom that I was okay.

I thought it over quickly, coming to a decision.

"You can tell Mom and the others that I'm okay. No mention of the baby though, and no telling them where we are." I bargained.

"Good. You don't know how much that will ease her mind."

"I'm starting to get an idea." I muttered, rubbing my stomach again.

"Max, I know we haven't had the best track record, but you need help and I'm in a position to help you. How about we agree to get along and make that happen?" He offered.

I recalled a series of moments from my childhood that were happy. I'd enjoyed living in the E-shaped house with the rest of the Flock. Aside from the time spent in cages and labs, the times we were free, we were happy. Jeb had helped with that.

"For now." I agreed reluctantly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so here's the deal folks: This is based after Max like Fang never happened. Fang and Max lives happily ever after for a couple of years minus the random sporadic Eraser attacks. Then at sixteen Max gets pregnant and leaves the Flock. Sound familiar? Yeah probably. **

**I have a couple of ideas for this story later on though that might make it a little different, we'll see though.**

**Oh yeah, and I don't own Maximum Ride. Duh.**

Did you ever wonder how Iggy learned to pick a lock? Jeb. So, I really shouldn't have been surprised when we parked in the back alley of a brick obstetrician's building and proceeded to break and enter.

"An after hours appointment? How kind doctor." I mocked sarcastically following into the building.

"Please don't make light of this situation, Max. It's difficult enough as it is." Jeb managed, pointing in the direction of my bulging belly. I rolled my eyes wishing he had half a clue how difficult pregnancy really was.

We made our way to an exam room and turned on the lights like we owned the place. Jeb knew his way around and could work all the equipment with ease, which of course had me suspicious. But all that went away as he began the ultrasound. I heard a loud thumping noise and saw blurs moving all over the monitor.

"Would you like to know the gender?" He asked, staring at the monitor.

"Um, sure." I answered, reluctantly.

"It's a girl. And she'll be here before very long." He smiled at me, for once seeming old, like a parent or grandparent instead of the strong, fierce scientist who had taught us to defend ourselves as children.

"How long?" I managed, hearing my voice crack. I thought I still had at least three more months before I gave birth, but I knew I was bigger than I was supposed to be. I really shouldn't have been surprised.

"If you're lucky you'll last a month. The…baby…she already seems full grown."

A month? I couldn't have a baby in a month! I wasn't even 6 months pregnant yet.

"It's the Avian DNA." Jeb explained simply, and the more I thought about it the more I realized he was right. I may only be sixteen but I looked like I could be starting college soon. It must have sped everything up.

I felt myself trying to freak out and hyperventilate, but I remembered to control my breathing. I was going to have a baby in a month or so, ready or not. I would have a little girl. Despite the freak out, I was excited and felt a smile on my face for the first time in months.

* * *

"Valencia, she's fine. I promise."

I was sneaking down the stairs and stopped in my tracks when I heard Jeb's voice as he spoke on the phone. He'd called my mother.

"Yes Valencia, I do know how much my promise is worth. Yes, absolutely nothing. Are you going to let me answer your questions?" He asked with irritation. I heard the other line go silent.

"No, she's not. She has a lot on her mind. She's not quite herself. Give her time. "

That was putting it nicely.

"No, I can't tell you where we are. No, you can't come here. If you do, she'll leave and then we won't have any idea what's going on. I know Max though, she'll want to see you soon."

"Okay, you too. Bye." He said, hanging up the phone.

I thought about how good it would be to talk to Mom, imagining the relief in her voice when she heard me safe and sound on the other line. But I couldn't do it. She'd tell the others and they would try to find me, either bringing me back with them to be a family again or to kick my butt for leaving in the first place.

"What are your plans for the day?" Jeb asked, eating the bowl of cereal he'd already poured while I began to do the same thing.

"Not sure yet." I answered honestly, not thinking of anything more than food and a shower.

"You should go shopping." Jeb suggested lightly with a smile. I returned the suggestion with a glare. He'd obviously forgotten who he had been talking to.

"Max, the baby is going to need clothes and diapers. I know you're not a big fan of shopping, but those are necessities." He explained making me realize that unfortunately he was right, yet again. I hate those words.

"Fine." I accepted in a miserable tone, taking a bite of cereal.

"Do you still have the Max card?" Jeb asked. I nodded in response.

"Good. Take Itex for everything they're worth. Be smart about it though. Use an ATM, one that's not too close to where you're actually going to be. Withdraw as much cash as you can take out. Buy what you need, and if possible, withdraw more from the same ATM that you used earlier in the day. They'll never expect you to go back to it." He said, with a wicked smile.

I didn't like Jeb telling me what to do, but at least he was being smart and screwing over Itex at the same time. I felt a little grin despite myself.

"I wish I could go with you. I have to go to work." He said, and in his voice I heard a little truth in it. He wasn't pleased about the situation, but I could tell he felt bad leaving me on my own. It hit me then, and I felt the pregnancy hormones taking effect, making me feel a little weepy. I imagined having my mom, Ella, Nudge and Angel with me, waking down isles and picking things out. I always hated shopping, but having people I loved with me made it a little more bearable. I imagined taking in all the things we would buy and seeing Fang smile, proud and happy when we returned with things for OUR baby. Oh, did I mention that in my deluded little fantasy that I'm not SIXTEEN?

But it's not like we grew up with parents over our shoulders telling us to wait until marriage or preaching about birth control. We made choices and now we were paying consequences for them, but I was paying a lot more than he was.

"Max?" Jeb asked forcefully. Apparently he'd been trying to get my attention for a while now. "Are you okay?" He asked when he saw that I had indeed returned to the land of the living.

"Fine. I'm going to get going." I answered, running upstairs before he could ask me any more questions.

* * *

I walked up and down the baby aisles of the store trying to decide what I really needed. A bottle warmer? Yeah, that would be great…if the cave I was hiding out in had electricity! I shook my head hopelessly and chuckled darkly. I did grab a can of formula and three bottles, just in case and threw them in my cart. I walked down the next aisle, grabbing wipes and diapers in various sizes. Pacifiers? What the hell? I threw them in the cart hoping I would never need them. As I started heading for the clothes I saw baby furniture. I saw a woman on her cell phone using the internet. She was obviously reading reviews on the one she was considering buying and I suddenly felt insanely jealous. I wanted a crib. I wanted a safe place for my little girl to sleep at night and not have to worry about being attacked by Erasers. Was that so wrong? I didn't realize I was staring until I heard a small hiccup. I choked another small sob when she looked at me with sympathy.

"Are you okay?"

I bolted before I could answer, heading right for the restroom.

Good job, Max! Fantastic!

I scolded myself mentally for breaking down in front of a complete stranger like that. Suck it up, Max. One more month, you can hold on until then. Just have the baby and you'll never have to see her…or Jeb ever again for that matter.

One more month and I'd be hitting the road again. Too bad I had no idea where to go when I did.


	3. Chapter 3

**I still don't own Maximum Ride.**

I could tell you about the angst ridden pity parties I threw myself for the next month, but to be honest it's like watching reruns on light night tv. The episodes weren't good the first time around, and they don't get any better when you relive them.

In the middle of wallowing in self pity I felt a sharp pain in my back. Nothing unusual. I'd been having them for the past month or so. Jeb had called them false contractions, or false labor. But false labor doesn't make you pee yourself does it? Damn.

That was definitely my water breaking. Not knowing what to do, I yelled. "JEB!"

I never considered myself a wuss. I'd gotten plenty of cuts and bruises, more broken bones than I could count…oh yeah, and I'd been shot. I can tell you nothing has hurt worse than having a baby. At that moment I wish that I personally could have been the spokesperson against teen pregnancy…or maybe even pregnancy at all. How did people do this more than once?

"Max, just let me give you the medication, please!" Jeb requested, borderline begged me to let him give me some pain medication. No sir, no way. Need I remind you of my previous experience with valium? Besides, I wasn't completely sure that I could trust Jeb and I'd rather suffer for hours in agonizing pain that put my baby or me at risk of being captured.

It was weird to be doing this in front of Jeb but I was in so much pain I stopped caring about half an hour into labor. I felt my muscles tense up again and another wave of blinding pain take me over. I was in so much pain I couldn't remember what it felt like to not hurt. I knew it had only been hours, but it felt like years. I heard a voice scream and barely recognized it as mine. Jeb was a shade of white that I'd never seen before.

"It's almost over, Max. It's time to push now." He instructed. I did as I was told, and felt a tugging. Gross. The pain lessened and I couldn't believe what I saw. There she was though. It was my little girl I'd always called Angel that, but now I really understood. This wasn't the same thing at all. I remembered all the pain from the past few hours, but just couldn't care about it anymore, just because I saw her. Pretty cool, huh?

Jeb cut the umbilical cord, gave her a quick bath and wrapped her in a pink blanket handing her to me. I heard a little squeal and clung her tightly.

"Any ideas about a name?" Jeb asked peeking over my shoulder. I noticed he didn't look completely unhappy.

"I think I'm going to call her Tory, like Victory…but less cheesy." Looking down at her, she definitely looked like a Tory…I think.

I noted her thick black hair and long eyelashes thought of Fang.

Geez, I had been such a coward. I didn't tell him, afraid that he would get mad, and maybe even leave me again. I hadn't told Mom because I thought she would be disappointed.

But now I had a totally different scene in my head. I imagined Gazzy and Angel on the floor with a smiling Tory, a little older and learning to crawl. I pictured Nudge holding up two nearly identical pink outfits rambling about which to put her in. I saw Fang holding her closer, whispering to her when she cried followed by the peaceful sound of silence.

If he hated me,I would understand but he deserved to know.

I had to find him and be with my family...my Flock. And where was I? With JEB of all people. I tried really hard not to roll my eyes. What had I been thinking?

"Max, are you alright?" Jeb tried to keep his voice light, but I could hear sadness in his voice.

"I'm fine, just tired."

"There's something I need to tell you, but I wanted to wait until you had the baby. You didn't need the added stress." He confessed, seeming a little guilty. I riled up in bed, angry and ready for a fight, even with my newborn daughter right there.

"What?" I growled.

"It's Fang. He left. No one knows where he is."


	4. Chapter 4

**Insert typical disclaimer here...you know the one. The one about JP owning Max and all...okay yeah. **

I gave myself 2 days to heal and rest up, which was more than enough. I gathered the few things that Tory and I had in a backpack and jumped out of the second story window.

According to Jeb the Flock hadn't been attacked by Erasers, or anything else for that matter since I had left. Fang had just…left, just like I had, without saying a word to anyone. Fang had been gone for almost two weeks without any communication with the Flock or my mom and I was racking my brain trying to figure out where he could be.

He could be trying to find his parents. If he was I was way out of luck, because I had no idea where to start looking for them. But I doubted that was the case.

He could be trying to take out Itex, or whoever was making the new Erasers. Again, if he was I was screwed. He could be anywhere doing that. But that wasn't likely since no one had seen or been attacked by Erasers since I left.

He could be looking for me. I tried not to get hopeful about that idea. And if that were the case he'd have no idea where to look for me.

There was only one definite spot that I thought to check for him and that was a two day flight from where I was, but of course that was where I was going.

I examined Tory in the carrier strapped to the front of my body making sure she was in tight. She was only two days old and she could already hold her head up and make some facial expressions. I prepared myself for the flight knowing I would have to make stops every couple of hours for diaper changes and feedings but didn't give up hope. I was just ready to get to the hawk cave. It was a long shot, but it was the only one I had.

The first day was easy. The silence was peaceful without five other mouthy bird kids to complain and make you stop every hour for food or bathroom breaks. And Tory was a little trooper. Every four or five hours she would squeal a little, signaling a bathroom or milk break, but she only broke down in an uncontrollable wail once. Come to find out, it looks like I had a well behaved child. Who would have guessed? Maybe karma didn't really exist after all. Day two was a little more frustrating. The closer I got to the hawk cave, the more restless I grew.

What would I do if Fang wasn't there? Would I go back to Arizona and find my mom and the Flock again? Would I just stay there and hope Fang came back? Would I keep trying to find him?

Almost like she could tell I was frustrated Tory began wiggling in her carrier and squealing. "Okay, we'll go ahead and stop." I sighed, looking around for somewhere to land for the night, since the sun was beginning to set.

That's when a felt s swift rush of air blow past me, blowing my hair and sending a chill down my back. I looked besides me to see a huge bird eyeing me. A ferruginous hawk. That's when I realized exactly how close I was. I put on super speed and smiled. I hadn't done this since I'd gotten pregnant. I felt like I didn't have a care in the world when I was going this fast. I rushed past a dark cloud and swerved downward quickly, realizing it was a huge pack of hawks. I saw a little speck ahead and realized it was the cave. I had to stop almost suddenly and throw myself downward. Rocks went flying as I skidded into the cave. Tory screamed, scared from the sudden change in speed. I heard snapping sounds as the ferocious birds nipped at me, a quick unexpected visitor in their territory.

I backed into a cave wall, clutching Tory to me as tightly as possible and spread my wings hoping the hawks would catch my scent and no longer view me as a threat. I shushed Tory quietly knowing the noise wouldn't help, especially since three of the biggest birds with the sharpest beaks I'd ever seen drew closer and closer, staring intently at us. That's when I heard footsteps, fast ones that sounded like running behind the birds. Their wings spread, I couldn't see anything except their gazes turn quickly. All of sudden their wings snapped open as they made a quick retreat with some impressive maneuvering.

But the relief was temporary and replaced with a bundle of feelings I can't even begin to name.

"Max?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hardest. Chapter. Ever. Just. Saying. It was really hard keeping Fang in character, making him get mad, but not blow up. Let me know how I did. And let me know what you think JP would do. I think Fang is going to be way different in the next book, probably more emotional and leadery and stuff since he'll have his own flock. But I'm just guessing. Enjoy.**

Part of me was nervous, scared, and excited all at the same time. I had to be losing my mind. It couldn't be this easy could it? But there he was. Fang was standing right in front of me, his beautiful wings peeking out behind him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. I had hoped he would have been happy to see me, but his voice held no emotion at all. I tried not to feel disappointed.

"I was looking for you. I was hoping we could talk." I managed weakly, pulling Tory closer to me.

I saw his eyes note the movement, but his expression remain the same.

"You didn't want to talk…before you left."

I sighed knowing exactly what he meant.

He and I had been alone together, which didn't exactly happen a lot in a crowded house of bird kids, plus mom and Ella. We'd gotten carried away and before I knew it I was sneaking out the next morning and pretending it had never happened. He'd tried to talk to me about it but I'd always find some excuse to bail. It had been like for a month or so until I realized that I was pregnant.

My moods had been swinging worse than a baseball bat in the ninth inning of the World Series. I'd heard Iggy call me a few choice names in the week before I left, and looking back I couldn't blame him at all. Hormones were a dangerous thing. I'd spent every morning vomiting. Everyone else thought I had been taking extra long showers. On the rare day that someone woke up before me I would fly off somewhere to a cave or a tree nearby to heave my guts out in privacy. Then I had started to show and I knew it was time to go. It wasn't much. It just looked like I'd been hanging out at the all you can eat pizza buffet one too many days a week. But that's when I packed a few things that did still fit into my pack and take off.

"Look, Fang, I can explain but…"

Just like the other million times Fang and I were together, we forgot about everything else…including an obviously hungry Tory.

I was cut off by the loudest, highest pitched wail I'd ever heard. I pressed my ear in to make sure I could still hear since the sound was so loud.

"Yeah, we should talk." I said with a weak smile as Fang paled.

"Come with me." He managed, grabbing a pack from the side of the cave wall.

Luckily the flight wasn't very long, only five or ten minutes from the cave. Fang and I landed in a small town. Flying overhead I could see a small grocery store, a post office, a couple of gas stations, and a couple fast foods joints. Other than that it was all small suburban houses or random apartment complexes. I was surprised when Fang walked up to a small blue house with white trim and opened a screen door. He took out a key to unlock the front door.

"Where are we?" I asked, stroking Tory's hair to keep her calm. She wasn't crying anymore but she was still hungry and restless. I held her to me tightly, suspicious of the new place even with Fang with us.

"I live here." Fang answered simply, opening the door. I couldn't believe what I saw when we walked inside though.

Fang had always been the tidiest of all of us, even the girls. His room was always spotless, with everything in its place. This place had boxes, papers, and a couple of duffel bags strewn about the living room. This was nothing like Fang at all.

"How long have you lived here?" I asked in disbelief, wondering how he put up with the mess. It almost looked like it could have been my room!

"About two hours." He smirked, pointing at his pack. He saw my look of confusion and continued.

"I was staying at the cave with the hawks for a few days. I'd come into town to get some food when this lady came up to me with her eight year old. She said she didn't recognize me and I told her I was just visiting. Her dad had just died, leaving the house she grew up in empty. She was scared something might happen to it and asked me to keep an eye on it for a while." He shrugged.

"This lady, a complete stranger, asked you to watch over the house?" I asked, suspiciously. That just seemed way too easy.

"Her dad's death was sudden. She has a lease she can't break in the next town, and her job is there. It's a small town, so she didn't know of anyone else. I agreed to straighten up the place but keep all her dad's stuff, so she's not charging me anything. It's temporary anyway."

Tory whimpered a little, breaking my attention away from Fang.

"I..uh, need to feed her." I felt my face go red a little.

"I haven't gone shopping for food yet. What should I get?" He asked, pointing to the door.

"Um…you…uh…might just want to turn around." I managed awkwardly, pulling off my windbreaker and pulling down the strap of my tank top.

I saw Fang's brow furrow like he was thinking, followed by his mouth gaping open.

"How…How old is she?" Fang all but squeaked, finally understanding what was going on.

I pulled my windbreaker over us for cover as Tory began feeding.

Fang collapsed into a large reclining chair, his eyes closed and his balled up hand covering up his face. I heard him mutter something that sounded like the word ours. He wasn't even meeting my gaze or acknowledging my existence, which scared me.

"She's less than a week old. The avian DNA made her grow fast. Her name's Tory." I blurted out faster than I thought possible…almost at Nudge type speed.

But it was too late. Fang was already out of his seat, pacing across the surprisingly spacious, yet cluttered living room. I saw him rake his hand through his hair and his cheeks turn red as he crossed his arms across his chest.

That was Fang's equivalent of having a temper tantrum.

"Look, I know you're mad…" I began but the look on his face stopped me.

"Mad?" He whispered, his voice cold. His eyes were narrowed, staring me down."Max, you left! You left the Flock, your family, me…all of us, without saying a word!"

He just sighed and shook his head in disappointment. Okay, maybe mad didn't quite cover it.

"I get it. Finding you wasn't a good idea. I'll just go…"

"You can't go." He interrupted again, but this time he didn't sound angry. I just stared at him dumbly, waiting for him to talk. Eventually he figured out that I'm not Angel and I didn't know what he was thinking for once.

"So before you left, when you wouldn't talk to me, and completely ignored me…you were pregnant?" He asked in disbelief. I nodded guiltily.

"And you didn't want me to know." He added quietly. I knew it was a mad silence, as compared to his normal silence. That's just how well I knew him.

"Of course I wanted you to know, I just…" I stopped, not knowing how to defend what I did. "I did it to keep the Flock safe." I protested half heartedly, knowing he wouldn't believe me. Sure enough, he just looked at me and rolled his eyes.

"You were scared." He countered, knowing me just as well as I did him.

I stared at Tory unwilling to admit out loud that he was right, but of course he was.

"What did you think was going to happen, Max? What was there to be scared of? I thought you knew…" He trailed off sitting on the couch next to me. My eyes met his wondering what it was I was supposed to know.

"Look, even if you had told me, I would never want you to leave. Now that you're here, that's still true."

It took a moment for Fang's words to sink in. I couldn't be hearing him right, could I?

"So, will you stay here?" he asked seriously.


End file.
